Body fat in children measured by DXA, air-displacement plethysmography, TBW and multicomponent models: a systematic review.

To conduct a systematic literature review to identify studies that used indirect methods to assess body fat in healthy children. A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. We conducted a search in the MEDLINE/PubMed, SciELO and Google Scholar databases. Studies in healthy children aged 0-9 years were eligible for inclusion. Studies were kept or excluded from the review according to eligibility criteria defined a priori. Two independent reviewers conducted all steps in the study selection. Initially, 11,246 articles were retrieved, with 3,593 duplicates. After applying the eligibility criteria, 22 articles were selected for review. The methodology of each study was analyzed by each reviewer individually. The indirect methods used to assess body fat in children included dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) (14 articles), air-displacement plethysmography (five articles), multicomponent models (two articles), and total body water (one article). Most studies reported absolute (in kilograms) or relative (percentage) body fat measures. Only seven studies reported the fat mass index (FMI) (kg/m(2)). DXA was the indirect method most frequently used to assess body fat in healthy children. FMI was seldom reported.

[Health care during pregnancy and childbirth: results of two cross-sectional surveys in poor areas of North and Northeast Brazil]. / Assistência à gestação e ao parto: resultados de dois estudos transversais em áreas pobres das regiões Norte e Nordeste do Brasil.

In 2002 and 2005, two surveys were conducted in poor areas of North and Northeast Brazil to evaluate prenatal care received by mothers of children under five years old. The study covered 1,528 and 1,529 children in 2002 and 2005, respectively. In this three-year period, maternal schooling and monthly family income increased by 1.5 years and US$ 50.00, respectively, availability of safe drinking water increased from 23% to 41%, the proportion of pregnant woman with six or more prenatal visits increased from 42% to 52%, and immunization against neonatal tetanus increased from 54% to 77%. Coverage of uterine height evaluation increased from 54% to 77%. Testing for HIV and syphilis virtually doubled, from 8% to 16%. Meanwhile, gynecological examinations dropped from 41% to 31% and counseling for breastfeeding decreased from 66% to 55%. Despite improvements, the study's results show that the target indicators in these areas fall short of those in more developed regions of Brazil. Efforts should be made to reduce this gap.

[Child health in poor areas: findings from a population-based study in Caracol, Piauí, and Garrafão do Norte, Pará, Brazil]. / Saúde infantil em áreas pobres: resultados de um estudo de base populacional nos municípios de Caracol, Piauí, e Garrafão do Norte, Pará, Brasil.

The aim of this study was to evaluate child health indicators in the municipalities (counties) of Caracol, Piauí State, and Garrafão do Norte, Pará State, Brazil. Through household visits using systematic sampling, previously trained interviewers applied a standard questionnaire to mothers of under-five children, investigating socioeconomic status, housing and environmental sanitation, demographic characteristics, disease patterns, and prenatal and childbirth care. The analysis used the t-test and chi-square test to compare indicators between the two municipalities. Of the 1,728 children studied, 60% were from families with incomes less than one monthly minimum wage (approximately U$200), 41% had no type of sewage treatment or disposal, 10% of mothers reported zero prenatal visits, 30% of the children were born in the same municipality, and 30% had been taken to a pediatric consultation in the previous 3 months; 20% had a height-for-age deficit > 2 standard deviations. All target indicators were deficient in both the municipalities (especially in Garrafão do Norte). Expanding health care supply and improving housing and sanitation conditions are priorities in both municipalities.

Saúde infantil em áreas pobres: resultados de um estudo de base populacional nos municípios de Caracol, Piauí, e Garrafão do Norte, Pará, Brasil / Child health in poor areas: findings from a population-based study in Caracol, Piauí, and Garrafão do Norte, Pará, Brazil

Este estudo teve por objetivo conhecer indicadores básicos de saúde infantil nos municípios de Caracol, Piauí, e Garrafão do Norte, Pará, Brasil. Mediante visitas domiciliares por amostragem sistemática, aplicaram-se questionários às mães de menores de cinco anos, investigando nível sócio-econômico, condições de habitação e saneamento da família, características demográficas, padrão de morbidade, de utilização de serviços de saúde e de assistência recebida durante a gestação e o parto. A análise consistiu da comparação de indicadores entre os dois municípios e foi avaliada através dos testes t e qui-quadrado. Das 1.728 crianças estudadas, 60 por cento de suas famílias possuíam renda inferior a um salário mínimo mensal; 41 por cento não contavam com qualquer tipo de sanitário; 10 por cento de suas mães não realizaram uma única consulta de pré-natal; 30 por cento nasceram no domicilio; 30 por cento foram levadas à consulta médica nos últimos três meses; 20 por cento apresentavam déficit > 2 desvios-padrão para o indicador altura/idade. Todos os indicadores estudados foram ruins em ambos os municípios, sobretudo em Garrafão do Norte. Aumentar a oferta de cuidados em saúde e melhorar as condições de habitação e saneamento deveriam ser prioridades nessas localidades.

The aim of this study was to evaluate child health indicators in the municipalities (counties) of Caracol, Piauí State, and Garrafão do Norte, Pará State, Brazil. Through household visits using systematic sampling, previously trained interviewers applied a standard questionnaire to mothers of under-five children, investigating socioeconomic status, housing and environmental sanitation, demographic characteristics, disease patterns, and prenatal and childbirth care. The analysis used the t-test and chi-square test to compare indicators between the two municipalities. Of the 1,728 children studied, 60 percent were from families with incomes less than one monthly minimum wage (approximately U$200), 41 percent had no type of sewage treatment or disposal, 10 percent of mothers reported zero prenatal visits, 30 percent of the children were born in the same municipality, and 30 percent had been taken to a pediatric consultation in the previous 3 months; 20 percent had a height-for-age deficit > 2 standard deviations. All target indicators were deficient in both the municipalities (especially in Garrafão do Norte). Expanding health care supply and improving housing and sanitation conditions are priorities in both municipalities.

Assistência à gestação e ao parto: resultados de dois estudos transversais em áreas pobres das regiões Norte e Nordeste do Brasil / Health care during pregnancy and childbirth: results of two cross-sectional surveys in poor areas of North and Northeast Brazil

Em 2002 e 2005 realizou-se inquérito transversal em áreas pobres das regiões Norte e Nordeste do Brasil visando avaliar a assistência à gestação e ao parto entre mães de menores de cinco anos. Foram estudadas 1.528 e 1.529 crianças em 2002 e 2005, respectivamente. Neste período, a escolaridade média das mães aumentou em 1,5 anos, a renda familiar em R$ 100,00 e o fornecimento de água tratada passou de 23 por cento para 41 por cento; a realização de seis ou mais consultas de pré-natal aumentou de 42 por cento para 52 por cento e a imunização contra tétano neonatal de 54 por cento para 77 por cento; a avaliação da altura uterina de 54 por cento para 77 por cento enquanto a realização de teste para HIV e sífilis duplicou, passando de cerca de 8 por cento para aproximadamente 16 por cento e de ultra-sonografia de 44 por cento para 64 por cento. No entanto, a realização de exames ginecológicos caiu de 41 por cento para 31 por cento e as orientações sobre amamentação de 66 por cento para 55 por cento. Apesar de melhorias expressivas na maioria dos indicadores estudados, verifica-se que ainda estão abaixo das regiões mais desenvolvidas do país. Esforços devem ser feitos visando reduzir estes diferenciais.

In 2002 and 2005, two surveys were conducted in poor areas of North and Northeast Brazil to evaluate prenatal care received by mothers of children under five years old. The study covered 1,528 and 1,529 children in 2002 and 2005, respectively. In this three-year period, maternal schooling and monthly family income increased by 1.5 years and US$ 50.00, respectively, availability of safe drinking water increased from 23 percent to 41 percent, the proportion of pregnant woman with six or more prenatal visits increased from 42 percent to 52 percent, and immunization against neonatal tetanus increased from 54 percent to 77 percent. Coverage of uterine height evaluation increased from 54 percent to 77 percent. Testing for HIV and syphilis virtually doubled, from 8 percent to 16 percent. Meanwhile, gynecological examinations dropped from 41 percent to 31 percent and counseling for breastfeeding decreased from 66 percent to 55 percent. Despite improvements, the study's results show that the target indicators in these areas fall short of those in more developed regions of Brazil. Efforts should be made to reduce this gap.